Apple to Introduce Solar Products?

After receiving a low green ranking in Greenpeace’s Green Guide to Electronics, Apple has been making significant changes to be environmentally friendly. With the release of the MacBook Air, which includes a mercury- and arsenic-free display, a PVC- and BFR-free circuit board, and an aluminum case (plus less packaging), Apple's green score has already increased to 6.7. And now it has just filed a patent to place solar cells on portable devices.

What this means is that certain devices like the iPod Touch or iPhone could be manufactured to have photovoltaic cells stacked underneath LCD touch screens, enabling these gadgets to get juiced up from the sun! I'd love a solar/regular power option, so on rainy days I wouldn't have to go into panic mode if the sun wasn't shining!

I think that's a great idea, and it doesn't surprise me that Apple came up with it. Go Apple! Imagine not having to worry about being somewhere, and having to worry about charging your iPod and needing an outlet (or computer I suppose). I think it's great, and if it costs an extra $100 or 2 to do it, then I'm willing to pay it.

i think in this 'age' of trying to make things more eco friendly that this is a step in the right direction. i wonder what impact it's going to have on the cost...but i think that perhaps it would be a worthwhile trade off

This would be great if they start this. At first the products may not be great but in due time I bet they could be state of the art. At least for now Apple will recycle their products that you are done with.